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Federated Auto Parts 400

Date

Aug 16

Track

Richmond Raceway

Distance

400 Laps

RACE RECAP

Austin Dillon wrote one of the most dramatic stories of the 2025 regular season by winning the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, a victory that vaulted him from 28th in the championship standings directly into the 16-driver Playoff field. Dillon led 107 laps on the 0.75-mile short track, including the final 49, commanding the closing stages of the race with the kind of conviction born from desperation -- knowing only a win would save his season.

The race featured 24 lead changes among 11 drivers and just 5 cautions for 44 laps, making track position and pit strategy paramount. Tyler Reddick won Stage 1 and Bubba Wallace captured Stage 2 while leading a race-high 123 laps, but neither could hold off Dillon when it mattered most. Alex Bowman finished second, with Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Austin Cindric rounding out the top five in a strong night for Team Penske.

Dillon's Richmond victory carried added significance given his controversial win at the same track in 2024, when he was later penalized by NASCAR for aggressive driving. This time, the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet earned it cleanly, and Dillon's must-win gamble paid off in spectacular fashion to keep his championship hopes alive.

BY THE NUMBERS

Lead Changes

Leaders

5/44

Cautions / Laps

6,475

Green Flag Passes

2.471

Margin of Victory

94.126

Avg MPH

3:11:14

Race Time

11.0%

Under Caution

59.3

Avg Green Run (Laps)

Stage Winners

S1Chase Elliott

S2Christopher Bell

Lap Leaders

#23Wallace123laps

#3Dillon107laps

#60Preece60laps

#45Reddick41laps

#12Blaney39laps

#77Hocevar10laps

#5Larson9laps

#71McDowell6laps

#2Cindric2laps

#6Keselowski2laps

#99Suárez1laps

Caution Breakdown

1L72–798LStage 1 ConclusionLD #10

2L182–1887L#54, 45, 99 Incident Turn 4LD #71

3L192–1965L#51 Spin Turn 2LD #88

4L199–21315L#1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 19, 24, 41, 43 Incident Turn 3LD #54

5L232–2409LStage 2 ConclusionLD #16

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Austin Dillon's 107 laps led and race win from 28th in points was the ultimate must-win fantasy scenario -- managers who identified his desperation as a motivating factor were rewarded handsomely.

02Bubba Wallace led a race-high 123 laps but did not win, earning massive laps-led fantasy points while ultimately fading -- a classic case of strong fantasy production without the race win bonus.

03Tyler Reddick's Stage 1 win provided early fantasy points, but his inability to sustain that pace highlights the volatility of short-track racing at Richmond.

04Alex Bowman's P2 and Ryan Blaney's P3 delivered strong top-tier fantasy value, reinforcing that the Hendrick and Penske drivers are reliable Richmond plays.

05With only 5 cautions for 44 laps, Richmond ran cleaner than usual -- when the race goes green, track position and long-run speed become the dominant fantasy factors.

VALUE PICKS

3.5

pts/$

Ty Dillon$6

P20

6.19

pts/$

Austin Dillon$9

P1Led:107

6.00

pts/$

Zane Smith$5

P11

5.60

pts/$

Alex Bowman$10

P2S1:P5S2:P2

4.50

pts/$

Shane van Gisbergen$6

P14

BUSTS

0.9

pts/$

Chris Buescher$12

P30

1.01

pts/$

Tyler Reddick$11

P34Led:41

1.54

pts/$

Chase Elliott$13

P38S1:P1S2:P4

1.83

pts/$

Ross Chastain$12

P19

2.55

pts/$

Kyle Busch$11

P16S1:P8

PERFECT LINEUP

Optimal 5-driver roster for this race

Salary

$48/50

Avg Finish

P3.6

Total Points

361.10

Group	Driver	Salary	Finish	Led	Bonus	Pts
A	Austin Dillon	$9	1	107	0	111.40 2 × 55.70
B	Alex Bowman	$10	2	0	+15 S1:6 S2:9	98.00 1.75 × 56.00
C	Ryan Blaney	$13	3	39	+2 S2:2	68.85 1.5 × 45.90
D	Austin Cindric	$8	5	2	0	47.75 1.25 × 38.20
E	Daniel Suarez	$8	7	1	0	35.10 1 × 35.10